Helen Lucretia Barrows (1832 - 1913)

Born 1 Feb 1832 in Bridport, Vermont

Ancestors

Wife of William Thomas Moffett — married 14 Oct 1856 in Bridport, Addison, Vermont, United States

Died 2 Aug 1913 at age 81 in Decatur, Illinois

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Biography

Helen was born in 1832. She passed away in 1913.

Sources

• Find a Grave

Mrs. W. T. Moffett was found dead in bed at 4:30 o'clock Saturday morning by her daughter, Mrs. E. Wright Allen, at whose home she had been visiting for the last six weeks. She had been in poor health for more than a year and since going to Harristown had been seriously ill. For several years she had had heart trouble. Last Friday she appeared to be better than usual. She was 81 years old last February. Just what time she died is not known as none of the family were with her during the night, Mrs. Allen went into the room at 4:20 in the morning to see how her mother was and found her dead. It is thoughts he died of heart trouble. Remained in County--Her husband died about 12 years ago. For the last four years she has made her home on East Wood Street in Decatur. She was taken to Harristown for the family reunion last month and her children, thinking that it was better for her to be on the farm during the hot weather, persuaded her to remain at the Allen home. All of her children were present at the family reunion held in the Allen home, July 17. Some time before her death she expressed a wish that she be taken to the old Moffett farm near Boody but she had never been well enough to go. She had always said that she wished her death to take place on the old farm. Mrs. Moffett was born in 1832 near the inland town of Bridport, Addison county, Vermont. She came of an old New England family and Gen. Artemus Ward was her great uncle. The Vermont home of Mrs. Moffett was a beautiful and picturesque place. It was near Lake Champlain and close to Crown Point and Fort Ticonderoga. She lived there as a girl, married at home of her relatives are buried there. Prepared for Teaching.--Early in life Mrs. Moffett began to prepare herself to teach school. She was a graduate of the Castleton Seminary, completing the course in 1852. In 1854 Mrs. Moffett came to Springfield, Ill., to visit her uncle, Erastus Wright and remained here. She taught school in Sangamon and Macon counties until her marriage October 14, 1856, to W. T. Moffett. She was an unusually interesting woman and was probably as widely known as any other woman in the county. Fifty years ago she taught school in the Madison school at Blue Mound. Mrs. Moffett, since early in life, has been a member of the Cumberland Presbyterian church and was active in the organization. Later she became a member of the Second Presbyterian church in Decatur. She was a woman of sterling qualities and for years her home was the social Mecca of the county. There are few of the older residents of the county who did not know Mrs. Moffett personally. She leaves six children, E. R. Moffett of Decatur, J. B. Moffett of Tallahassee, Fla.; W. D. Moffett of Blue Mound township; Mrs. E. P. Hall of Mechanicsburg; Mrs. E. W. Allen of Harristown and Mrs. W. N. Rugh of Argenta. She also leaves 20 grandchildren and four great-grandchildren. Funeral services will be conducted in Madison Presbyterian church at x o'clock Tuesday afternoon. Rev. J. W. McDonald will return from his vacation stay at Lake Winona to officiate at the funeral. Burial will be in the Brown Cemetery. Review (Decatur, Illinois), Saturday, August 2, 1913